NIH/NSF funded principal investigators at The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) have scientific needs for an 800 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer because of an increasing number of sophisticated NMR-based research projects. These include: 1. Dr. David J. Weber, Interaction of S 100 proteins with the tumor suppressor protein, p53; 2. Drs. Donna Baldisseri and Frank Margolis, Structure/function studies of OMP bound to Bex proteins; 3. Dr. Ronald Guiles, Structure/dynamic studies of cytochrome b5 and hIL-5; 4. Dr. Lindsay Black, Structure/function studies of T4 terminase; 5. Dr. John Collins, Interactions of skeletal muscle regulatory proteins; 6. Dr. Angela Wilks, Heteronuclear NMR studies of heme oxygenase; 7. Dr. Mordecai Blaustein, Structure/function studies of channel blocking toxins; 8. Dr. John Hamlyn, Biosynthesis and characterization of novel steroids; and 9. A new NMR spectroscopist to fill a tenure/tenure-track faculty position. In addition, seven other projects are briefly described in this application, which also have an essential need for an 800 MHz NMR spectrometer either now or in the very near future. The purchase of an 800 MHz NMR is an important component of the new UMB Center for Structural Biology that will include an expanded NMR center and X-ray crystallography. As part of this center, the 800 MHz spectrometer will be located in specially designed space in a new building in downtown Baltimore. The 800 MHz spectrometer will be one of two instruments in the UMB NMR shared facility; the other is an existing six year-old 600 MHz NMR spectrometer, which will be relocated into the Structural Biology Center. The users of the UMB NMR center include faculty members from the School of Medicine, the School of Pharmacy, the Greenebaum Cancer Center (GCC), and the University of Maryland Biotechnology Center (MBC). An established advisory committee, which has members from each of the above institutions, will continue to administer the management of the NMR facility including new policies for assuring equitable sharing of the NMR instrumentation. The cost of the 800 MHz NMR is approximately $1.9M, so a very large institutional commitment by the University is pledged. Because structural biology was identified as an important part of the strategic plan of this campus, several schools at the University of Maryland, Baltimore have agreed to continue their support of the UMB NMR center by providing the necessary matching funds towards the purchase and upkeep of this new instrument. These matching funds plus outstanding space to house the instrument represents a very large and necessary commitment to the field of structural biology by the University of Maryland, Baltimore.
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